Not As It Seems
by Isob3l
Summary: When the princess of the kingdom, Gendar, goes missing, it is instantly blamed on the neighboring kingdom, Aberon, and a deadly war seems inevitable. But when young soldier, Austin, finds something interesting in the dungeon while on patrol, he learns that everything is not as it seems.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a new story I'm working on. I've just finished my first Auslly fanfiction (Who Can You Trust) and I wanted to keep going on that path. I hope you like this.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally or anything mentioned here.**

**Summary: When the princess of the kingdom, Gendar, goes missing, it is instantly blamed on the neighboring kingdom, Aberon, and a deadly war seems inevitable. But when young soldier, Austin, finds something interesting in the dungeon while on patrol, he learns that everything is not as it seems.**

**Not As It Seems**

Chapter 1

"You keep an eye on things down here. I'm going to go see if there's any news regarding the princess."

Austin glanced up from the keys he'd been playing with to look at his friend and partner, Dez. He wasn't sure if Dez was allowed to leave guard duty. A higher ranking officer might have been able to get away with it, but he and Dez were fresh out of training and about as low as a soldier could be ranked.

Seeing the hesitation on his face, Dez reassured, "No one is going to get out while I'm gone. I'm just going to see if anyone has found the princess yet. I'll be back soon."

Austin frowned and asked, "What should I say if someone comes down to check on us?"

Dez smiled and answered easily, "No one is coming down. Everyone available is out looking for her. C'mon Austin, you can't pretend that you're not curious. Everyone knows that you've always had a thing for her."

Austin rolled his eyes at his friend. Stories of his 'thing' for the princess had been greatly over-exagerated. He'd met her once as a training exercise and came back with a few kind words to say about her and all of a sudden, he was infatuated.

But he couldn't deny that he was hoping there'd be news about her.

It wasn't every day that a princess was snatched from the castle by a neighboring kingdom's agent. Especially considering the fact that the kingdom in question was typically a peaceful one. It was all rather curious.

Besides, she'd been kind to him when they'd met and he didn't want any harm to come to her.

So, begrudgingly, Austin nodded and agreed, "Fine, but hurry."

Dez smiled gratefully and headed for the castle to make some inquiries, leaving Austin alone in the castle's dungeon, which held only the kingdom's vilest prisoners.

The thought would have made any other man shiver, but Austin wasn't just any man. He had confidence that he'd be able to handle any escape attempts the prisoners could make.

Not that they'd even bother. While they'd been the vilest in the kingdom upon getting arrested, Austin found that most of the men and women lacked the will to attempt an escape. They knew just how dangerous trying to escape would be and survival, even if they did manage to escape, was almost impossible.

Austin wandered down the corridor of the dark and musky dungeon, going out of his mind with boredom. He hated guard duty. Nothing interesting ever happened and he'd much rather be out looking for the princess. The very idea that some ruffians were holding her captive made his skin crawl. He didn't dare consider the possibility that she might be dead.

Austin truly hoped that Aberon wasn't involved in her disappearance because otherwise, war was sure to erupt. The war would be costly and brutal. Many lives would be lost and, while Gendar would most certainly win the war, the kingdom of Aberon would never recover. Such action might also provoke other neighboring kingdoms to oppose Gendar and the future conflicts would all be deadly.

Austin shook his head to rid himself of such negative thoughts and continued on his way down the corridor, only pausing at the sound of a dainty cough. It certainly hadn't come from any of the prisoners. The prisoner closest to the corner was a large man who couldn't have possible made such a delicate sound.

Curiosity getting the best of him, Austin followed the corridor until he reached the corner in question

That was where he noticed the door. Though it was dark and well concealed, he wondered how he'd never seen it before that day. The door was thin and black, tucked into the corner of the prison, so that it was hardly noticeable, so it made sense that he hadn't noticed it, but typically Austin was very observant.

Although he knew full well that the door could simply lead to a broom closet, he couldn't manage to quell the curiosity that bloomed in his chest. He knew that he should just ignore the door, but he also had no doubt that he'd only be postponing the inevitable. Curiosity would beat out his will. It always did.

Taking a look over his shoulder, Austin approached the strange door and attempted to turn the doorknob, only to find it locked.

Of course it was locked. He didn't have a key for this door either. That should have been that. A locked door means no. Any other man would have just let it be.

But Austin wasn't just any man.

Sighing, Austin lowered himself so that he was at eyelevel with the keyhole and pulled out a piece of copper wire. Looking over his shoulder once again, he began to pick the lock, a task wasn't very difficult to Austin due to all of the trouble he managed to find himself in. After a couple seconds of work, he heard the satisfying click of a lock coming undone.

Checking again to make sure that the coast was clear, Austin turned the doorknob, pulled open the door and stepped inside the dimly lit room.

The only light came from a lantern in the corner and a candle by the door. Although it was hard to see, he could make out the bars of a cell and a huddled mass in the corner. The rest of the room was standard. It had high stone walls and stone floors. This room lacked any windows though, and the only way out was through that door, which appeared to open only one way.

_Oh,_ he thought to himself, _this must be a special prisoner._

"Who's there?" a soft, feminine voice called out. He couldn't help but notice the indignation and pride with which the prisoner spoke. Those characteristics weren't common in the prison.

The figure didn't move from its position in the corner, so Austin cleared his throat and replied, "Just a guard doing routine checks."

A dry laugh from the girl, followed by a sarcastic, "Back from searching for me are you?"

"What?" Austin asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. Searching for her?

Without explaining, the girl pushed herself to her feet and walked to the bars, leaning against them for support. Austin could see why she'd need to. The girl had bruises on her arms and wrists and she looked malnourished and dehydrated. Even the vilest prisoners didn't deserve to starve to death.

Her pink dress, which looked to have once been lovely, was in tatters and filthy. She didn't wear any shoes and, upon closer examination, her legs were decorated with bruises like her arm. Her dark, caramel hair was hanging limply around her face. She looked filthy.

But despite all of this, she was clearly beautiful. Her dark brown eyes bore into his with an intensity that startled him and her soft pink mouth, though curled into a frown, was lovely. Her slender face was pale, as was her skin. She was also rather slight, both in height and weight, although the latter might have had to do with her obvious lack of food. Although she was a mess, she held herself with poise and determination. She was clearly no ordinary prisoner.

After taking a moment to study her, Austin discovered the meaning behind her earlier words. He recognized this face. This face was the one that everyone had been searching for.

He was looking at the missing princess.

**A/N: This is just an idea I've been thinking about. I hope the first chapter wasn't too abrupt. The other chapters will be better I think. Please review! Let me know what you think! Give me ideas or suggestions or requests or criticism or anything under the sun! Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'd like to thank anyone whose read this story. I know that the first chapter wasn't much to go off of, but I hope that this chapter pleases you guys. This story is different from anything I've ever done, so I'm personally pretty excited for it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally or anything mentioned in this chapter. I'm a slave to those far more talented than I.**

Chapter 2

"Are you going to stand there staring at me all night?"

His discovery of the princess inspired many questions and he was dying to ask any one of them, but all he could do was stare at her dumbly. The sound of her voice snapped him out of his reverie though.

With his mental faculties once again fully functioning, Austin quickly asked, "What are you doing in here? Half of the kingdom is looking for you. We're on the brink of war!"

His voice was borderline hysterical and she flinched in response, instantly causing him to regret his panic. Instantly, he amended, "I'm sorry, your highness. It's just confusing to see you here obviously."

The princess smiled sardonically at him and retorted, "I suppose that I've been arrested for treason against the king."

The effort of her laughter made her cringe in pain and, although she tried to hide it, Austin took note of it and his protective instincts kicked in.

"You can explain it to me while I get you out of here," he stated abruptly, scanning the room for something he could use to free her. Remembering his copper wire, Austin pulled it out of his pocket and approached the lock.

Suddenly, the princess exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

He looked up at her and offered her a look of confusion to match hers of surprise. Still eyeing her suspiciously, Austin hesitantly replied, "I'm setting you free, princess."

"No! You can't," she exclaimed, her voice shaking slightly.

"Well, now I'm really confused. Don't you want to be free? I know that the king misses you gravely. Everyone in the kingdom is searching for you."

"Not everyone," she murmured, almost to herself before speaking up, "I've been imprisoned by the king directly. Freeing me or telling anyone of my location is treason and punishable by death. For your own sake, I recommend that you leave me and tell no one that you saw me."

She tilted her chin upwards in a gesture of dignity. It was clear to Austin that she was doing everything possible to remain strong despite how vulnerable she was.

"Why would the king imprison you and blame Aberon for your disappearance? What was your act of treason against the king?"

The princess offered him a small smile that chased some of the emptiness away from her expression. Austin tried to quash the pleasure he got from the slightly softer expression she offered him.

After slight hesitation, she replied, "I accused him of treason."

"That doesn't make any sense," Austin argued, his face scrunching in confusion. She wasn't making this easy.

"The less you know, the longer you'll live."

Austin frowned at her response, clearly displeased with the secrecy.

"Fine," he huffed irritably, "Then if I'm not allowed to know why you're a prisoner, then I'm deciding to free you."

He crouched down so that he was at eye level with the lock and prepared to break it when she commanded, "As your princess, I command you not to free me."

Austin snorted and rolled his eyes. This girl was gutsy, that was for sure.

"You're technically a prisoner and I'm the guard. That would make me in charge of you and I say you're free."

The princess lowered herself so that they were eye to eye and leaned against the bars. Austin couldn't help but notice how close she was to him. If he leaned forward slightly, their noses would be brushing. He didn't dare move though.

"Please," she whispered, "You seem like a good man, which is rare among the guards who have discovered me. That is precisely why I can't let you die for me. I won't have the blood of any more good men on my hands. You will be discovered and if you don't alert the king to my presence, then he will know that you want to free me and you will be hanged. I won't let you die for me."

Austin shook his head and replied, "You don't seem to understand, princess. This isn't just about you. Gendar is moments away from declaring an all-out war on Aberon which cost many people their lives. If we alert the public that you are here, then war can be avoided."

"The king will let nothing stop him from waging this war. That's why I'm in here, so that he can have the war he's always wanted."

Slowly, the pieces of the puzzle were beginning to connect and picture was being formed in Austin's mind. Before he could ask her for more details, he heard a familiar voice call out, "No news on the princess, Austin. But don't worry. I'm sure they'll find her."

The princess must have heard him too because she tensed instantly. She reached out a hand through the bars to rest lightly on his face before she begged, "Please, Austin. You must leave."

"Not without you," he argued stubbornly. For some reason, the idea of leaving her here hurt him a little. He blamed it on his hero complex.

"Your friend can't know I'm here. Even if you did attempt to free me tonight, the attempt would be sloppy and it would cost both you and your friend your lives."

Her eyes glistened with tears as her mask of pride lowered for the moment. The sight of her fear and concern broke his heart a little bit. Begrudgingly, he agreed, "Fine. You're right."

Dez's voice called out, "Austin? Where are you?"

"Hurry!" Ally whispered.

Ignoring her urgency, Austin continued, "Any attempt tonight would fail. I'm coming back tomorrow though with food and water. Then you can tell me exactly why you're here and we can plan your escape."

"No! It won't work! You just need to leave, now!"

Dez's footsteps grew louder, so Austin boldly asked, "Do you promise me that you'll help me plan your escape?"

"I-" she stammered, her eyes wildly looking around the room for a way out of this.

"If you don't promise, I won't leave and Dez will find us," Austin warned, pleased that the sound of Dez's footsteps seemed to terrify her.

"F-fine! I promise! Now go and tell no one of this encounter!"

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before getting up and exiting the room. Austin made sure to shut the door behind him and listen for the click of a lock. When he was satisfied, he crept away from the corner, just in time to stop Dez from peeking down the narrow corner.

Dez's eyes flashed with relief when he took in Austin's appearance.

"Don't disappear on me like that, man. What were you doing back there?" Dez asked, his face a mask of confusion.

"I was waiting to scare you. Didn't exactly work though," he lied easily, his thoughts still on the princess behind bars.

Dez's face twisted into a smirk as he teased, "Nice try, Austin! I'm too smart for you."

Austin fought the urge to roll his eyes as he led his friend to the door and exclaimed, "I know you are. It's pretty scary how smart you are, actually."

_Tomorrow_, he promised silently, shooting the hidden door one last glance.

**A/N: Thank you to everyone reading this and whoever reviewed on the last chapter. It's moving a little slowly and I'm not sure if this is great or not, but please don't give up on this yes. I've got a lot planned for this. Please review! I need criticism and suggestions and requests and anything you have to tell me. I'm always learning and I need your feedback so that I can make this story the best it can possibly be. Thank you again and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for all of the kind reviews I received on the last chapter. I got some awesome feedback too (which I will reply to, no worries). I know everyone is confused, but it's intentional. This story is from Austin's POV and you know exactly what he knows, so you'll learn more as he does. Thank you so much to all of the people who began reading this story because of Who Can You Trust and thank you to all of the new readers. Miscellaneous brought up some points that (s)he wanted me to address for this chapter, so here's my reply. **

**Miscellaneous: I'll try to make longer chapters, but I'll have to see on that one because my writing style is mainly just shorter chapters. I'll try though. As for a standardized updating time, I apologize, but that is not going to be doable for me. I'm really busy so I update either when I'm really inspired or free. I can't really say when I'll be able to update next, so although I'd love to do a standard update time for you, it's really not doable and would probably result in longer waits for updates. I'm sorry about that one. Austin will not call Ally princess for the entire story. He just doesn't know her that well yet. Plot twists will, of course, ensue, as will Auslly in due course. I'm a bigger fan of gradual development on romances, so I can promise you that it'll be soon, because people don't really fall in love super quickly and all that. Also, she's been through a lot (as you'll learn soon) and she'll undoubtedly have trust issues which aren't dismantled in a chapter. Thank you though for your review and suggestions and I hope that this reply satisfied you.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally.**

Chapter 3

Austin didn't sleep a wink that night.

Whenever he shut his eyes, images of the poor, emaciated princess assaulted him. So, he tossed and turned and worried.

Austin Moon never worried. About anything. Ever.

He was fairly confident in his skills, so he had nothing to worry about. No one would escape while he was on guard duty and if they tried, they'd be sorely disappointed.

But this princess had him worried.

And confused. He was having a difficult time putting together the whole story and the princess seemed very reluctant to help him. He could tell that she'd be impossibly stubborn in the future. It was evident in her stubbornness earlier.

She didn't appear to grasp the amount of danger the entire kingdom was in, but Austin could sense that there was more to it than that. The princess didn't seem to be the type to take people's lives lightly. That much was clear in her reluctance to be freed.

Maybe she'd given up hope.

That didn't seem to fit either though. She was just so _defiant_ that he had a hard time believing that she'd give up.

_Something horrible must have happened._

Austin racked his brain for what that could be, but came up clueless each time. There was just so much that he didn't know. He did know some things though.

He knew that the king wanted a war at whatever costs. That didn't seem to make sense though. The king had always appeared benevolent and peaceful. Despite this knowledge, Austin couldn't bring himself to doubt the princess's words. For whatever reason, he believed her story full-heartedly.

He knew that the princess accused the king of something treasonous. She probably posed a threat to him in some way. Despite her size, that he could believe. She seemed more fit to lead a rebellion than a kingdom.

He knew that the king was framing Aberon for the princess's disappearance. Probably to get that war he was after.

He knew that he wasn't supposed to know what he knew. That he knew with absolutely certainty. If the king learned of his knowledge, the sentence would be death.

That didn't worry him though. The fate of the princess, should he did, did. Had people tried to free her before and failed? That would explain her reluctance to accept his help. That would also explain her statement about having good men's blood on her hands.

His head started to hurt at all of this confusion. Never did Austin even consider the idea that he'd be tangled up in something like this. He wanted to tell Dez about it, but knew that he'd only be risking all three of their lives. He wanted to go back in time and un-see the room. He wanted his life to become simple again.

But more than anything he wanted to save the princess and keep her safe.

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The next day, when his commander asked for volunteers to work as prison guards, Austin was the only boy to raise his hand.

Dez's eyes widened in shock as he eyed his friend suspiciously. Nobody _volunteered_ for guard duty. It was the most tedious of all the possible jobs and everyone knew that.

His commander gave him an odd look, but didn't comment on this rare sight. Instead, he asked, "Does anyone volunteer to work with Moon?"

Dez let out a reluctant sigh and began to raise his hand when Austin exclaimed, "I can work it by myself, sir. Shouldn't every possible man be looking for the princess?"

Everyone looked astonished at his statement. No one volunteered for guard duty _alone_. It was the most boring job a person could have. Most of the new recruits wanted action and excitement while most of the older recruits were the most qualified in searching for the princess.

His commander eyed him with thinly veiled suspicion as he inquired, "Why the sudden concern, Moon?"

Austin placed a hand on his heart and gasped, trying his best not to oversell it.

When his commander's expression changed from suspicion to confusion, Austin exclaimed, "I've always been concerned. I begged you the other day to let me look for her. I just figured that if I couldn't look for her then every possible man should."

He could tell his impassioned argument had made some effect on his commander, but he hadn't completely convinced him. Thankfully, one of them men in the back exclaimed childishly, "Moon loooooves her!"

Laughter rippled through the group and Austin tried his best to look embarrassed. His commander looked thoroughly uncomfortable though. He cleared his throat and stated, "Fine, Moon. You're on guard duty. Don't let any prisoners escape."

Austin had to stop himself from laughing at the irony. If only his commander knew that he was planning to do just that.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Austin was sure that he wouldn't be interrupted, he quietly slipped into the princess's cell and shut the door behind him. He pulled the water canteen and bread he'd stored in his pocket and approached the cell slowly, clearing his voice to alert her to his presence.

He heard rustling in the cell and watched as the princess's battered body approached him, somehow looking worse than the day before.

Her piercing brown eyes scrutinized him as he wordlessly offered her the bread and the water. She hesitated for a moment before snatching the bread from his hands and eating it greedily. She finished the piece of bread that would have taken Austin at least 6 big bites in 3 bites, a testament to the starvation she must have been feeling.

As if remembering that he was there, she offered him a sheepish smile as her cheeks began to color in embarrassment, although she had no reason to be embarrassed. He'd have expected nothing less of someone in such bad shape. In an attempt to put her at ease, he offered, "Have some water, but take your time with it. I'd imagine your throat and your mouth must be dry by now, so savor it if you can."

Distrust crossed her face and it became apparent to Austin that this girl had not received a genuine act of kindness in a very long time. She'd let her hunger dictate her actions with the bread, but she was in control now and she wasn't going to be duped by the likes of him.

Trying not to take offense to her suspicion, Austin undid the lid to the canteen and took a tiny sip of the water, keeping his steadily on her. Her expression faded into one of relief as she accepted the water and drank from it slowly, taking small sips and savoring each of them.

In between sips, she muttered a quiet, "Thank you," to which he simply smiled at her. He could feel that she was beginning to trust him slightly, and he'd need that if he was going to get her out of there.

After a few moments of silence, she asked, "Where does your partner think you are?"

"I don't have one," he stated simply, taking in her surprised reaction.

"Oh, so I suppose there's no rush then," she muttered, her voice getting quieter with each word until it was no more than a whisper.

Not in the mood to waste any of his precious time with the princess, Austin commanded, "Tell me why you're in here."

She froze and her eyes widened in shock. She'd never been bossed around before, that much was clear.

Slowly, she shook her head and replied, "Your life would be much better if you just forgot about me."

"I doubt that, princess, considering the fact that I'd probably be killed in war. Now tell me what happened and then we'll plan your escape."

She flinched at the word princess and said, "Ally. Don't call me princess. Call me Ally."

"Alright Ally," he replied, loving the way her voice sounded on his lips, "Tell me the whole story."

Noting the hesitation on her face, Austin added, "Or are you going to break your promise to me?"

Her brow creased and her nostrils flared in anger. She tilted her chin upwards in a sign of defiance. He fought the urge to smile as she reacted just as she hoped she would.

With a final huff of irritation, Ally began without prelude, "My father has been trying to provoke a war with the people of Aberon for almost as long as he's been in power. I had an inkling of the man my father had become and decided to," she paused for a moment, as if searching for the correct word, "listen more closely."

"Eavesdrop," Austin interrupted, taking pleasure in the sly smile that grew across her face.

She shrugged nonchalantly and looked quite pleased with herself for snooping. Austin got the impression that she didn't do it often.

She continued, "Call it what you will. I overheard him talking with Commander Brigg about killing someone of prominence and then framing Aberon for it to provoke the war."

Austin shuddered. Commander Brigg was his commanding officer and he'd trained him in the academy. He was also in charge of the army and the guards. He carried out all of the king's military orders and was very close with the king, so it didn't surprise him that the king trusted him enough to reveal his plans to him. He'd always appeared to be an honest and fair commander, though. He didn't question Ally's words though. Instead, he tried to meld together to images he had of his commander.

"Why did he want to provoke a war in the first place?"

Ally looked at him as if the answer should have been obvious and replied, "My father is power mad. The conquering of Aberon is simply the first step in a much greater plan."

"What plan is that?"

"World domination, of course. Anything that'll appease his massive ego."

"Well, if he wants a war with Aberon, why not simply declare war?" Austin asked, pleased that he was getting answers.

Ally nodded approvingly, and Austin was pleased that he seemed to be asking the right questions. After a moment of silence to gather her thoughts, Ally answered, "There are a handful of reasons. One of which being the fact that unprovoked aggression on a peaceful nation has negative side effects. For one, several surrounding nations might support Aberon and threaten Gendar's certain victory. Another being that other nations might begin to guess at his plans before he's ready for them to. I think the major reason is to give the troops something to fight for."

Austin made a confused face, so Ally elaborated, "When you fight a war, the only way you stand a chance of being victorious is if you have the will to win, the support of your people, and a large army built on a voluntary basis. World domination doesn't set that fire in the hearts of men and women to garner a king any of these three things. Men need to be passionate about what they're fighting for to win. An act of aggression committed by Aberon, such as kidnapping Gendar's princess or assassinating a member of the court, lights that fire and paints Aberon in the light of a villain. My father needs those and simply proclaiming war on Aberon won't get them."

Austin nodded understandingly and stated, "I see. Continue the story please."

He'd maneuvered himself so that he was leaning against the bars, just as she was. Their hands were brushing and he could feel her warm breath fan across his face. It made his heart beat a little faster and he found himself reminding himself of why he was there.

"Right. Where was I?" she asked, her eyes widening as she noticed the closeness as well.

"You were eavesdropping."

"Oh okay. I confronted my father about his plans and he didn't even deny them. He tried to convince me of their legitimacy and that he was doing what's best for the kingdom, but I knew it was a lie. I called him out on it too and told him that I wouldn't stand for it. I accused him of treason. That was when he called for Commander Brigg. He and a couple others of the high-up officers bound and gagged me and threw me in here. I've been here ever since."

"Have you seen your father since it happened?"

She let out a sarcastic laugh at the question and replied, "You're kidding, right? If the king starts spending time in the dungeons, people will talk. Occasionally, Commander Brigg comes to check up on me and taunt me, but otherwise I've had no visitors."

"Why hasn't your mother said anything?"

"She's been travelling and hasn't come home yet. She was never super-involved in my life to begin with."

"What about the people searching for you who've been killed by Aberon forces since then?"

Ally froze and her jaw became set. Clearly, he'd struck a nerve.

He vaguely remembered hearing tales of searchers being killed and mutilated for getting too close to finding the princess. Something about the story stuck out though. One prominent death that he'd paid attention to. He just couldn't remember.

"You're not the first man who's attempted to set me free," she answered abstractly.

Her eyes held a faraway look and he noticed that they glistened with unshed tears. She'd confirmed his suspicions of the blood on her hands. He could tell that this was not a topic he was meant to pursue with her.

In an attempt to change the subject, Austin asked, "Have they been feeding you at all?"

He felt his temper flare when she shrugged numbly and replied, "Sometimes when Commander Brigg comes he gives me scraps."

Eyeing her bruises angrily, he inquired, "And does he give you bruises as well?"

She cracked a light smile and retorted, "Apparently, I've got a sharp tongue."

Austin smile lightly at her humor. It was evident that she had a temper and her defiance went hand in hand with that. He could only imagine the verbal lashings Commander Brigg went through.

_Good. He deserves more than that_.

"I'm going to set you free, Ally. I know that you're scared of what they'll do to me, but we need to let the public know. We need to," he paused, unsure of what he was going to say next.

"What?" she asked, watching him curiously.

He wasn't sure what. He racked his brain for a word to describe what they'd be starting when he freed her. And then it occurred to him.

Looking her dead in the eye, Austin exclaimed, "We need to start a revolution!"

**A/N: I lengthened this one by about a 1000 words, so I hope that helps. Sorry for the wait and thank you for the reviews! Please review again! I need the ideas and the criticism and hate and suggestions! Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! It's exam time so I've been super busy. Sorry! I got some awesome reviews for my last chapter, so thank you! I hope this chapter pleases you guys! I know it's a little slow right now, but it'll be picking up, I swear! Thanks again! I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally or really anything mentioned in this chapter. All I own is my creativity and surprisingly enough that doesn't pay the bills…**

Chapter 4

"Were you dropped on your head as a child or were you born this insane?"

Austin flinched at Ally's cutting remark, but honestly he could expect nothing less. What he'd suggested was madness. A revolution in a kingdom as powerful as Gendar was suicide, but Austin knew that it was the only way.

Expecting her response didn't manage to prevent his temper from flaring.

"Well what do you propose? We just wait until your power-mad father dies a natural death and takes Gendar down with him?"

Ally winced and Austin instantly regretted being so frank with her. He might have been insane, but he was still her father and talking about his death couldn't have been easy for her.

"I-I don't know," she conceded, looking defeated. He'd made a good point and even she couldn't deny it.

Not giving him a second to bask in his victory, she asked, "And how do you propose to raise a rebellion, assuming you can get me out of here?"

She had him there. He hadn't thought that far ahead and he wasn't great with strategy.

"Well it's very convenient that I've got an intelligent princess to help me plan it, isn't it?" he asked teasingly, shooting her a smug smile.

She glared at him and stated, "How could I even help you? I have no experience in overthrowing dictators."

"You're very existence should help. Not only are you adored, but what happened to you will turn tons of people against your father."

She shook her head quickly and began pacing her cell, as if she was rejecting the idea instantly.

"With you as our leader, we can overthrow your father Ally," he urged.

"I can't do this," she denied, not looking at him.

"Yes, you can. We just need to get you out of here and make a plan and we'll be golden."

"No, I can't."

Confused at her refusal to even consider his plan, he argued, "Ally, you can. You just need to listen to me."

"No. I can't!" she exclaimed, looking up at him finally. He could see the terror in her eyes and realized that that was why she wouldn't agree with him. She was scared.

"I can't do this. I can't lead people into their certain deaths. I can't make anyone else suffer," she said, almost to herself.

"Ally, your father will kill us all," he stated simply, waiting for his words to sink in before continuing, "He will send us into war, which we'll win, but at a cost. Thousands of us will die and even more citizens of Gendar will die. You are the best shot that we have at survival."

He meant every word and she believed it. He could see the indecision in the crease of her forehead and wanted nothing more than to smooth it away. It wasn't fair to ask this of her. It wasn't fair of him to force her into the position of leader, but he had no choice. Without a doubt, he knew that she was the only one under whom victory would be possible.

She stiffened her back and face became serene as she slowly accepted her role and stated, "I'm in."

"You have to understand what this means for you, Ally. As the leader of this, you can't waver even once. You're going to have to be stronger, braver, and smarter than you've ever been. There will be no room for weakness."

She set her jaw and agreed, "I understand. My first act as leader of the rebellion is to appoint you as my second-in-command and leader of the army. Do you accept?"

"I accept," he answered without hesitation.

Eyeing him seriously, Ally added, "You need to understand too, Austin. You are forfeiting your life as you know it. You cannot trust your friends or your family with what we are doing and they will most certainly be at risk once you are discovered. I can make no assurances for your safety or our success. You may have to sacrifice everything only to be defeated. Do you understand?"

He didn't need to think of his answer. To him, he really only had one choice.

Austin had always viewed himself as a good man. That was what he strove to be more than anything. When he had any type of decision to make, he asked himself what a good man would do. Usually, that was the opposite of whatever his father would do, so it made the decision even easier. In this scenario, he knew exactly what a good man would do. A good man would do the very thing that men like his father would never be brave enough to do.

So, with a tone of finality, Austin agreed, "I'm in, princess."

She tried to hide the small smile that grew on her face as confidence replaced her earlier fears. He knew that he could trust her and he could sense that she felt the same about him. They were both in this crazy, suicidal plan together.

They were going to overthrow a king.

**A/N: Not my best chapter and I made you wait for it. I'm sorry. It's finals week so I've been sooo busy and this chapter is meh, but the other chapters will be better. Please review! I'm so sorry about my bad updating skills. Please let me know what you think about this chapter, even if you want to confirm my beliefs about this chapter being meh.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry about the wait. Again, I've had finals and stuff, but it is officially summer, so I'll be updating much more frequently. I hope this chapter is satisfactory!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything mentioned in this chapter except for the creativity… whatever little there is.**

Chapter 5

Step one to their plan was crucial.

If step one failed, the entire operation would fail and Austin would most likely be executed, as would Ally.

Austin was forced to acknowledge just how disturbing that sentiment was, but the idea of living his life while the princess rotted in prison only to be executed later was far worse.

So step one was very important.

Austin would have to somehow break Ally out of prison and sneak her into Gendar. From there, things got complicated. Luckily in all of the steps following step one, there were slightly larger margins for error. If those steps were to be reached though, step one would have to be executed flawlessly.

So they plotted their escape for weeks afterwards, at Ally's behest. Austin's first instincts were to pick the lock and make a break for it, but Ally insisted that slightly more intricate methods would be needed if they were to succeed and, more importantly, survive.

Every day for those weeks spent planning, Austin would claim guard duty. After the first time he'd requested it had gone off without a hitch, neither his commander nor his comrades questioned him again. Just to be safe though, Austin made quite a bit of a show of asking about the progress of their searches.

It wasn't all for show, however. Whenever Austin arrived at Ally's cell in the morning, he was immediately asked about how the search was going by Ally. At first he assumed that she was trying to gauge how much time they had before the king ordered that she be assassinated, but he quickly realized that that was only a part of it after her reaction to one of the names of the dead.

One a morning in the middle of their plotting, Ally stopped speaking suddenly and began to chew her lip nervously. Her brow furrowed and her knuckles turned white as her hands balled into fists.

They were sitting across from each other when he took note of this and asked, "What's wrong?"

She locked eyes with him for a moment as if she were sizing him up before she hesitantly asked, "Do people ever turn up dead after these searches, Austin?"

He wasn't sure where she was going with this, but he was positive that he didn't like it.

"Yes, but I get the feeling you know that."

She nodded slowly and swallowed hard as if her next words would be painful.

"Was one of those men Colonel Richards?"

The name definitely rang a bell. That man had certainly died and he'd heard about it, too. Everyone had. The Colonel was a very high-ranked and respected man in the military and the king routinely discussed his strategies with him in search of the Colonel's approval. Even though Austin had only seen the man briefly during his time training, he could feel the loss felt by all of those in Aberon.

But for some reason the name sounded familiar for another reason that he couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Uhm yes," he answered nervously, unsure of why he was so nervous in the first place.

The sadness that crossed her face was palpable and Austin felt his heart constrict in sympathy, but he still wasn't sure why.

"H-how did he die, if you don't mind my asking," she asked numbly, her eyes revealing nothing but a melancholy that gave Austin the impression that he shouldn't answer.

"Why are you asking me this, Ally?"

"I-I," she froze, her mouth hanging open in concentration like she was struggling to maintain her composure, "I need to know."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Ally," Austin stated seriously, his mind struggling to connect the pieces of the puzzle in his mind.

"P-please, Austin. I-I need," she paused again, as if searching for the words, "I need to hear it from you."

She must have read the hesitance on his face, so she added, "I need to hear this from someone I trust. Please."

That's when it clicked.

Austin remembered hearing about the princess's engagement to the Colonel only a few months ago. It was a rather sudden union, so naturally the men in Austin's group had developed their own theories, the most prominent of which being that they'd been dating for quite some time in secret due to the 5 year age difference, but, when Ally turned 18, they told her father and he'd insisted that they get engaged. It made enough sense and they appeared to be a good match. No one was upset at the prospect of Aberon being led by Colonel Richards and Ally, so the news was accepted instantly and Austin had heard very little of the couple ever since.

Suddenly, it was as if a flood had been released. He remembered the Colonel leading all of the initial search efforts with such fervor that Aberon rose to his expectations. During the final weeks of his life though, the Colonel seemed to become reserved and borderline complacent in the search.

And then they found his bloodied, battered body hanging from a tree outside of the city with a note around his neck warning that war was imminent. The body was so badly damaged that it had been difficult to identify him. The Colonel's sudden disappearance rid everyone's minds of doubt.

"You don't need to hear it, Ally," he stated firmly, his eyes wide with understanding.

Her reluctance to let him help her escape made sense. Clearly, her fiancée had tried to do the same and failed. From her empty expression and broken demeanor, he gathered that they'd both paid the price. She'd probably been told her fiancée's fate in agonizing detail by Commander Brigg and her father in an effort to make her suffer.

"Yes, I do. Please," she begged.

"You know what happened, Ally. You don't need me to tell you."

"I need to hear it from somebody honest. I need to know that what I've been told is the truth and not just something that Commander Brigg said to hurt me. I need to know if he suffered," she argued desperately, her voice laced with emotion.

"He suffered, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? Because I haven't told you anything that you don't already know."

"So they tortured him?"

"It doesn't matter if they tortured him, Ally. He suffered because he loved you and he died with you in here. You don't have to know what they did to him to know that he suffered. And the entirety of Aberon and Gendar is going to suffer if we don't finish what he started. He wanted you free and alive and happy, so don't torture yourself," he ranted, oddly bothered with her pain.

She nodded slowly, but her eyes held a faraway look that made it clear to Austin that he hadn't been able to reach her.

It was only then that he realized just how deeply her father had buried her. Far more was imprisoning her than just that cell. Her father had broken her trust and destroyed her life. He'd allowed her to be beaten and starved by Commander Brigg and the pain of knowing that her own father had been the one to give the order must have been killing her.

Her father wasn't the only one burying her though. She wasn't aware of it, but she was burying herself in hopelessness and loss. A part of her had clearly died with her fiancée and she wouldn't allow herself to get past that. And despite the short spurts of confidence and hope she exhibited, she couldn't shake the overwhelming fear that if Colonel Richards had failed, then so would he. And that fear seemed to rob her of her will to fight.

Her fear was well earned, but Austin had no intention to fail and every intention to dig her out of the grave she and her father had made for her.

Mentally, he made note of a new step to their very intricate plan.

He was going to give her a reason to fight.

**A/N: More of a character development chapter, rather than a story development, although this all will certainly come into play later. I hope this chapter was good. I was going to include some more planning and action and stuff, but I wanted to give you guys an update. So please review! Let me know what you think! Let me know if this is awful or boring or stupid or good or interesting or literally anything. Please help me improve my story and my writing in general!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I got some super nice reviews on my last chapter, so I'm trying to be better with the updates! I hope this pleases you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally.**

**Chapter 6**

The first thing Austin did the morning after the princess had agreed to let him help her escape was attempt to find a hideout of sorts.

After he freed her from prison, he couldn't exactly take her back to his house. He figured that if all went according to plan, it'd be a day at most before Commander Brigg discovered that she'd been set free and Austin didn't think it'd be hard to guess who helped her, especially considering the fact that he was doing solo guard duty.

So he searched for somewhere that they could hide. He doubted that they could get out of the kingdom with everyone on such high alert. But hopefully, Commander Brigg would assume that that was where she was. Clearly, Brigg and the king couldn't really summon a search party without revealing what they'd done, so after finding a spot to hide out, Austin and Ally would set out and attempt to get to Aberon.

Luckily, Ally was able to help with the issue of lodging on the first night. Colonel Richard, her late fiancée, owned a small cabin on the border of Gendar that he kept private from nearly everyone in order to give Ally and himself the possibility of alone time. This was crucial in the early stages of their relationship when they kept it a secret from her father.

Ally told Austin where to find it and the spare key and he set out to scout it after he was finished sentry duty.

Choosing to venture out into the middle of the woods in the middle of the night all alone probably wasn't the smartest move Austin had ever made. He got lost more than a few times, but after wandering through the woods just outside of Gendar for nearly an hour, he came across a tiny house that looked as if it hadn't been touched in months.

It was actually a rather cute house. Austin took note of the small flowerbed out front and flowers in the window that were now long dead and couldn't stop himself from imagining Ally making a small garden and bringing him flowers to make the cabin slightly more homey. This image of Ally was much closer to the Ally he'd met once at a training exercise than the Ally he encountered in the cell.

The first Ally had been sweet and gentle, albeit argumentative and stubborn still. She seemed to view the world as one full of hope and she certainly had big plans of what her rule as queen was to be like.

The Ally he encountered daily was a mere ghost of the girl he'd met. She was timid and fragile and susceptible to a despair that Austin didn't know existed in the world she'd seen only a few short months before. The fact that she'd maintained her stubbornness and argumentative sides gave Austin hope that he could revive the Ally he'd admired.

Shaking his head as if to clear it of his musings, Austin approached the house and attempted to turn the tarnished door knob. It didn't budge, so he scanned the window sill for the yellow flowers in a pink vase. All of the flowers on the sill had taken on a slightly grayish hue as a result of the lack water they'd probably been subjected to in the absence of a caretaker, but, in the dark, Austin could faintly make out the pink vase Ally had told him to find. Just to be sure, he checked the side of it for a heart with the words "Ally and John" painted onto it.

Pleased that he'd found the right vase, he reached his hand into the dry dirt contained in the vase and felt around for a cool, metal key. When he located it, he grasped the key firmly and pulled it out, careful not to destroy the flowers or break the vase. He wasn't sure why it mattered to him, since the flowers were dead and the state they were in were like to be the last things on her mind, but it did to Austin.

He quickly unlocked and opened the door before stepping into the small darkness of the Colonel's little haven. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Austin quickly lit the candles scattered throughout the house to give himself some light. With his vision aided by the light, Austin could see the room clearly and noted the charm of it.

It was a small house consisting of only one room. He suspected that there was an outhouse nearby because the only necessities this house held was a fireplace, a small kitchen area, and a single bed tucked away into the corner. In front of the fireplace sat a small table with a small loveseat facing it and small wooden chest of drawers off to the side. He could easily picture Ally living in and loving a little house like this.

Then, he set about searching the house. Austin forced himself to focus on the task at the task at hand. He located three large blankets, a few pillows, some firewood, both some men's and some women's clothing, some old food that had likely gone bad, and some other small essentials. There didn't appear to be any signs of forced entry or even any signs of someone living here recently. It looked exactly as he'd imagined the Colonel had left it. Thankfully, it appeared that both he and the Colonel had planned to hide Ally here, which explained the supplies.

When he determined that the house was suitable for Ally to stay here comfortable until they could escape to Aberon, he allowed himself to poke around a few of the personal items, promising himself that he was only doing so to make sure there'd be nothing here too painful for Ally to see.

The entire room had a very feminine touch to it, despite most of the furniture being strictly the basics. The blankets on the bed were a soft yellow that Austin doubted came from anywhere but the palace, as was a small rug underneath both the table and the sofa.

He eyed a collection of drawings he'd found on the table. Most of them were of Ally and a few were various scenes in nature. They were all beautifully done.

On the bureau sat jewelry that Austin could only assume had been Ally's. There was a lovely gold heart on a long gold chain that Austin could remember seeing around Ally's neck when they'd met. She'd told him that it had been her mother's and, as a result, held a great deal of value to her.

Next to the necklace were a few pairs of earrings either of diamond or of pearl, accompanied by matching bracelets. One of the bracelets stuck out though. It was a simple, dark brown, leather strap, with long pieces of yarn at the end that could be used to clasp the bracelet. Carved into the leather was a simple music note and nothing else. It was something Austin would have been surprised to see a princess wear, but it did look well-worn due to the frayed ends of the yarn and the crinkled look of the leather. Austin's lips curled into a smile just from looking at it. It was very Ally in a very surprising way. It was resilient and simple and beautiful, just like she was.

Finally, Austin's eyes fell on a small, diamond ring on the bureau. Without having to think twice about it, Austin knew that this was Ally's engagement ring. The band was thin and silver and the diamond was modest and square. It was simple, tasteful, and elegant. Austin didn't require a great imagination to imagine it on her thin ring finger. It looked like it belonged there.

Suddenly, Austin was overwhelmed by the overpowering feeling that he was intruding. He felt like he'd caught a glimpse of Ally that he hadn't yet earned and couldn't fight the shame that washed over him. In this house, he'd seen Ally love, Ally care, and Ally tend to and he'd gotten a taste of how Ally's life should have been. He could see the pure, unadulterated love shared between Ally and her fiancée in every inch of this house and he was disgusted with himself for intruding on that.

He didn't belong there.

**A/N: Some more backstory. A view of Colonel Richards (aka John) and Ally as a couple. John is going to be very important throughout this story as will his relationship with Ally. It's gonna be a major roadblock between Ally and Austin. The plot will pick up its pace soon. Don't give up on this story yet! Please review too and let me know how you feel.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I got some awesome reviews for the last chapter and that really inspired another update! I hope this pleases you guys because I'm liking the direction this story was going.**

**L.B: Hmm… intriguing. It would certainly be a bit of a challenge to create something original out of a relatively common idea. I like challenges though, so I could give it a try. Any restrictions or requests? Or, aside from them meeting at a summer camp, can I have free reign?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything mentioned in this chapter.**

Chapter 7

"Are you okay, Austin?" Ally asked for what seemed like the millionth time.

Austin blinked wearily twice before nodding absentmindedly and mumbling, "I'm fine, Ally."

"No you're not," she argued, irritation mixing with concern in her voice, "You've spent half the day staring off into space and paying no attention to my attempts at finalizing our plans and the other half of the day pretending to pay attention. I'd like to chalk it up to nerves, Austin, but I don't think I can while still maintaining my self-respect."

Austin winced at her honesty as she, once again, hit the nail right on the head with him. No matter what he tried, he couldn't seem to hide himself from her. It was as if he was completely transparent and the feeling of being completely revealed to this girl no matter what he did scared him.

He should have chosen to blame it on nerves or fear, but the idea of lying to her seemed futile and unappealing.

But how could he tell her that he'd spent many sleepless nights thinking about her dead fiancée?

He wasn't sure why he couldn't get this man out of his head. He'd only met him once, briefly and he knew very little about him. Austin didn't fear receiving the same fate as he did and he didn't regret helping Ally as he tried to. But he was haunted by the face of the man who came before him.

The prospect of having to explain this to her nearly gave him a headache, so instead he shrugged and rubbed his eyes tiredly with the hope that she'd accept that as an answer.

They were sitting on the ground, facing each other as they often did with bars in between them. Although their knees were pressed against the bars making them as close as possible, they very rarely touched except on rare occasions when one of the two needed comforting. Austin wouldn't have minded reaching a hand through the bars to grab her and signify that he was truly there for her, but she'd been through a lot and he was sensitive to that. So they didn't touch and Ally made no move to change that.

That is why her next move surprised him.

Slowly, timidly, Ally reached a slender hand through the bars and rested it lightly on his cheek, forcing his eyes to meet hers. In those eyes, he saw just how afraid she was. Not for her own fate, but for his.

She didn't say a word to him, but silently, she was offering to let him out of their arrangement.

"It's not that, Ally. I have no regrets about helping you," he assured her, not an ounce of doubt in his mind.

Her hand rested slightly less softly on his cheek as her jaw set in irritation and she exclaimed, "Then, why won't you confide in me? We're about to enter into something very dangerous and I don't think that there should be secrets between us."

Austin cracked a smile and stifled a laugh at her reaction. This only caused her irritation to grow as asked, "What is so amusing to you?"

"If you're going to get this feisty about my decision not to share my feelings with you, then we might just have a fighting chance," he teased, his smile growing.

Ally squinted at him in an attempt to maintain a stony expression, but she couldn't quite hide the faintest of smiles on her face.

Austin laughed loudly at her stubbornness and was pleased to see her smile grow slowly, even if the smile was reluctant.

"You're so stupid," she huffed, rolling her eyes at him.

"Doesn't that make you glad that you made me your second-in-command?" he joked.

And then he heard the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard and one that he never thought he would.

Ally laughed. A real laugh, not a sarcastic one that he'd become accustomed to. Never before had he heard her laugh, not even when he'd met her before all of this. It was a lovely sound.

It was over just as quickly as it began and all Austin wanted was to hear it again. After such a lovely melody, the harsh silence that followed grated his ears.

"Surprisingly, yes," she concluded, a small smile still on her face.

For a while, they just looked at each other, smiles on their faces. Their hearts were lighter than ever before, even though they had nothing but suffering in the road before them.

But even though they had everything to fear, Austin caught the faintest glint of something new in Ally's eyes.

He saw hope.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They tried their hardest to come up with a way that would make their escape less reliant on chance, but, try as they might, they couldn't find one.

All they could do was pray and hope that that would be enough.

The day of their escape, Austin prepared as best he could, but most of what was to be done could not be done with preparation. They had to be dealt with in the moment and that would have to do.

When Austin reported for sentry duty, he immediately went to Ally and handed her the clothing she'd need to wear to draw very little attention to herself. While he waited patiently for her to be ready, he ran through the plan in his head and felt a deadly sense of calm befall him. He'd been nervous all week, but now was not the time to be nervous.

Now was the time to instill faith in Ally and give her confidence that he could handle being her second in command.

Now was the time to prove himself to her.

When she was dressed in a simple, common dress and her face was clean of the filth of imprisonment, Austin did what he'd wanted to do since he first found the princess. He picked the lock and set her free.

But that was only the easy part.

**A/N: A little preview of the escape. That's going to happen soon. I hope you guys liked this chapter! Please, let me know what you think! I need reviews! And, L.B please get back to me about the fanfiction so I can get started on it. Review!**


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